With the return to school in full swing across the country, Sharp NEC Display Solutions have announced two new solid-state projectors for K-12 classrooms—the M430WL and M380HL.
Both projectors pair a 0.65-inch DLP chip with a laser light source that lasts up to 30,000 hours in Eco mode with minimal maintenance required (20,000 with Eco mode turned off). The solid-state light source allows the projectors to start up in only a few seconds and be ready for lessons. Over their HDMI 1.4 with HDCP 2.2 connections, they support resolutions up to 4K (3840×2160) with a refresh rate of 60Hz on HDMI 1 and 30 Hz on HDMI 2. Signals are downconverted to each projector’s native resolution—WXGA (1280×800) for the M430WL and 1080p (1920×1080) for the M380HL.
With Eco mode off, the laser light source on the M430WL is rated at 4,300 ANSI lumens and 3,800 ANSI lumens with the M380HL. Eco mode lowers light output by approximately 15 percent according to Sharp NEC. Both projectors can display images between a 30- and 300-inch diagonal with a zoom ratio of 1.6x. The throw ratio of the M430WL is 1.5-2.35:1, which would put it just under 13 feet away to fill a 100-inch screen. For the same screen size, the M380HL (that has a throw ratio of 1.4-2.24:1) would sit a few inches closer at 12.5 feet. You can check throw distances with the ProjectorCentral Throw Distance Calculators for the M430WL and M380HL.
The M430WL and M380HL have manual zoom, focus, and vertical lens shift adjustments (up to ±15 degrees). The projectors offer tilt-free installation and can be mounted in any orientation.
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Power consumption in Eco mode is rated at 180 watts (240 watts with Eco mode turned off). Taking into account the average electricity cost in the US and the average school day, schools can expect to pay an average of just under $2,200 per year if the projectors is run the entirety of each school day (or a little over $2,900 with Eco mode off). With the light source life listed above, at that rate of usage they would last at least 17 years.
Fan noise is rated at 34 dB with Eco mode off and 31 dB in Eco mode. Both quiet enough to not be disruptive in a classroom environment.
The dimensions and weight for both projectors are identical—19.5 x 15.2 x 7.7 inches (HWD) and 9.7 pounds. In addition to the two HDMI 1.4 with HDCP 2.2 mentioned earlier, they have a VGA 15-pin D0sub, RCA video in, two USB (a Type A for power and a Type B for service), stereo mini audio in/out, and RS-232. There’s a built-in 10 watt speaker.
The M430WL costs $1,599 and the M380HL costs $1,999. Both come with a five year warranty and are available now.
For more detailed specifications and connections, check
out our NEC M380HL projector page.
To buy this projector, use Where to Buy
online, or get a price quote by email direct from Projector Central authorized dealers using our E-Z Quote tool.
This Article was first published by Projector Central.
